The Promise of Forever
by SilverWolfFire
Summary: Angelus and Caim confess what lies within their hearts and find that they can finally have their happy ever after. A different take on Ending A.


Angelus was flying through the air with Caim on her back. Caim warmed her on the neck and she glanced back at him, comforted by the motion. Angelus had told Caim her name out of love after realizing that without him, she never would have evolved and grown stronger than she had ever been.

"Caim… Why did you stop me from becoming the seal?" Angelus asked her pact partner.

_I didn't want to be left alone,_ Caim confessed quietly after a few moments of contemplative silence. _Besides, you're the only thing that I truly care about now. I couldn't let you go. I wouldn't be able to handle it if I had._

"Ah," Angelus replied. "So you were selfish."

_For once in my life, yes, I was,_ Caim said. It was then that Verdelet contacted them.

"I have found another goddess," he said. "Would you like to watch her become the seal?"

_Say 'no', _Caim told Angelus quickly. _I saw my sister become the goddess, and it is a sight that I never wish to see again._

Angelus nodded in acknowledgement. She proceeded to tell Verdelet that, no thank you, they would not watch a girl be robbed of her life and future to bear the burden and weight of the world. The pair then flew on for a few hours, simply enjoying each other's company in silence. Angelus then suggested that they land and take a break, because her wings were starting to ache and cramp. Caim agreed, and not long after they found a field full of bright red roses.

Angelus then landed, and Caim rubbed the base of her wings with his hands to ease the aches. Angelus purred in both relief and contentment. She closed her eyes and let her head fall to the ground, enjoying his warmth and her soothed wings. It was then that she felt a desire to tell Caim how she truly felt about him. That desire simultaneously terrified and excited her at the same time—what if he rejected her?

"Caim," Angelus started after he sat near her head. The sun was starting to set, and beautiful pinks, blues, purples and oranges colored the sky.

_Yes? _Caim asked.

"I never thought that I would come to care for you so much," Angelus said after laughing a little out of nervousness. "I mean, we both hated each other in the beginning."

_Hell, _Caim interjected, _I was going to kill you when we first met! _He laughed as well, and Angelus detected some nervousness in him, too.

"Then we made our pact. To be honest, I was envious of your strength."

_You were? _Caim sounded surprised.

"Yes. Fortunately, though, we now share that strength. I thought that I would regret making our pact, but it turned out to be for the best." Angelus paused for a moment. "Then, after I evolved for the first time, I realized that it was _you_ who made me evolve. I thought little of it at that time, and then we fought with Inuart. That battle knocked the wind out of my sails, that is for sure."

_However, after the fight with Inuart, we started to change. I started to care about your safety and the fact that you protected me made me realize that you were starting to care about me as well. _He sighed and blinked while his hand found her nose. He rubbed it almost instinctively, and Angelus purred again.

"And then what?" Angelus prompted, her eyes still closed.

_And then the Wyrm happened. I suppose that that's what you could call the turning point in our relationship. _Caim felt his face heat up, and he turned away to conceal a bright pink blush from Angelus. He was slightly embarrassed at how strongly he felt about her, and he wondered momentarily if it was wrong, to care about a dragon so much that you would rather die than be separated. He felt his chest tighten a little after he felt Angelus move her head closer to him, and he risked a glance in her direction. What he saw in her eyes surprised and moved him deeply.

Her eyes seemingly burned with a fire from deep within, and her gaze was gentle yet firm. There was something there that he wanted to know, and felt within himself at the same time.

"What makes you say that it was the turning point in our relationship?" Angelus asked, still looking at Caim. Caim saw and felt her gaze become more intense after she asked the question, and felt vulnerable and exposed in front of her. He felt his blush deepen as he thought about his reply. Angelus blinked in slight shock. She had never seen Caim blush before, and she then knew that he looked adorable—and, dare she say, more human—when he did it.

Caim faltered for a moment, doubting whether confessing his love for Angelus to her was a good idea or not. He then remembered the fight with the Wyrm, and knew then that he was not mistaken in his feelings for her. He had the random thought that the only good thing that had come out of the war was Angelus and the love that he had for her. He put a clenched fist to his chest, took a breath, and prepared his response.

_Our fight with the Wyrm was the turning point in our relationship because after it, my friendship with you turned to love,_ he said honestly while gazing into her eyes. His dragon's eyes then sparkled, and Caim knew at once that telling her was the right thing to do. _Perhaps it even turned to love during the battle._

"I know that my friendship with you turned into love after the fight as well," Angelus said. She then put her head on Caim's now outstretched legs, and he rubbed her nose affectionately. Contentment settled in his heart, and realized that the only place that he wanted to be was by Angelus' side. He embraced her nose and felt her strong love for him in the back of his mind.

"Why don't you get some rest, Caim?" Angelus asked. She then raised her right wing for him to crawl under. Caim did so, and she tucked her head into the space that was between her wing and the ground. She stared into Caim's eyes, losing herself in them for a few minutes. The look that Caim gave her told her that he had lost himself in her eyes as well. The partners then returned to themselves and Caim smiled lovingly at Angelus. Angelus' heart almost burst with emotion, and she made a promise to herself to always make Caim smile.

"Rest, my fool," Angelus said, a tender tone coloring her voice. Caim lay down after taking his armor and undershirt off, leaving him clad in his black high-necked shirt, pants, and shoes. He then sighed out of relief and contentment and blinked. Angelus put her head on the ground. Her lips pulled back in a small draconic smile. "I love you, Caim."

Caim's mind connected with Angelus' for an instant, and all at once she became aware of just how much he loved her and how devoted he was to her. She knew that by the look on his face that he felt the same intensity of her emotions towards him.

_I love you too, Angelus,_ he said, slowly giving in to sleep. _I never knew that we would become this attached to each other. You know that you're the best thing that's ever happened to me and that's come out of this war, right?_

Angelus chuckled softly. "Of course I do. Now go to sleep, fool. We have a long day ahead of us tomorrow."

Caim nodded and curled up into a ball. _Rest well, Angelus, my crimson angel._ Angelus purred at this statement. The pact partners closed their eyes and fell into a blissful sleep, knowing that the world was safe at last, and that they had a lifetime to be happy together.


End file.
